GLASGOW: I BELONG TO GLASGOW...DEAR OLD GLASGOW TOWN..FOR 5 DAYS AT LEAST

           Jimmy, the bus driver and I were the only ones left for the ride to Glasgow.  Jimmy, being the wonderful man he is...dropped me at my hotel, another Premiere Hotel for 5 days.  I unpacked and went to a recommended Vegetarian restaurant close by.  I am located on the South side of Glasgow across from the Central Mosque. 

A short walk and I arrived at the Lotus...no alcohol restaurant.  I ordered spring rolls which were fried then fake chicken with cashews...had to order separate brown rice and an Organic Lemonade. The bill for this so-so meal was $20 pounds or $32 dollars...a real rip off.  The owner shook my hand and thanked me.
         I ran across to The Laurieston Pub.

..."Just a Pub" for a glass of wine for $3.50...now we are talking...my kind of place..but being tired and full...I headed back and slept until 8:30 then had another $16 dollar breakfast with hard boiled poached eggs...ugh.  I decided to spend most of the day playing on the computer and relaxing.  The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is an hour walk so maybe tomorrow morning...God knows I need the exercise after stuffing myself for 3 weeks and sitting on a bus.
      Today I tried Uber and was impressed.  Ahab showed up in 5 minutes and delivered me to the Kelvingrove for $6.  It would have been a long walk.  

The building was beautiful as was the Museum and Gallery it housed. There was a Pipe Organ concert so I went to that but thought it terrible and returned to see as much as I could.  

COFFEE MAKER

 I got hungry and left for the Ox and Finch...a upscale urban Restaurant serving all small plates.  I liked that idea and walked over with one rest stop and ordered a glass of wine , a Beetroot Hummus with whipped Feta and Chicory...Poached Hake with an Almond Crust, Ajo Blanc with capers and Rocket....Afacato with Biscotti for desert. It was a little more than the Lotus Vegetarian and way better...WAY.

     I walked to a nearby liquor store and bought Oban Scotch Whisky for Peter and Jeanette's Anniversary then called Uber...Mohammed arrived in one minute but it was $13 because of the hot spell...taxis were busy.  There are a lot of Muslims here but they are in the background.  Both Uber rides were in Uber Prius's sold to the drivers by Uber.  Mohammed's was 3 years old with 65,000 miles on it...he bought it in London for $8000.
       I started my 24 hours high speed internet and decided to stay in tomorrow afternoon and work on my photos and blog.  My 24 hours ran out around 3 pm so I called Uber and Amit arrived and took me to Guy's Restaurant but their Credit machine was down and I didn't want to use the ATM until I arrived in Amsterdam so went to the nearby Marketplace Compound of Restaurants for a mid afternoon lunch of Fresh Sea bass on a bed of fresh sauteed vegetables.  Very nice but I was still hungry so decided to walk back to Sharkey's Pub next to my hotel.

      It was Friday, warm and sunny.  The streets were crowded with people all speaking Scottish...very difficult to understand.  The Muslim populations spoke English I could understand.  The ladies were wearing hot pants , mini skirts, and really short one piece summer dresses.  I was bumping into telephone poles.  As I drew closer to my hotel there was a large park where I had heard music all morning. It was a large concert with different bands that was playing all day and night.  Many ticket scalpers on the street selling tickets to get into the event.  Bruno Mars was coming next week.

        I crossed the bridge and was at Sharkey's shortly and ordered an appetizer of Southern Fried Chicken...the waitress brought the dinner with Fries and Salad.  I was too tired to complain and ate most of it before returning to my hotel.

        My last day in Glasgow I was going to the Flea Market but found out it was over 30 minutes my taxi so I decided to lay low and enjoy my hotel room.  When it was was 3 pm I was getting hungry and in need of exercise.  I walked over where the TRNSMT Festival was going on and all the noise had been coming from since yesterday morning.  There are 7-8 bands a day playing in the park for three days this weekend and next.  The crowds had multiplied. All the pasty bleach white Scots persons who were shedding clothes in the heat would be fire red by the end of the day.  Most were already drunk or high on something.  Barely able to walk and overcrowding the bars...sitting on the sidewalks so you couldn't pass.  They weren't allowed alcohol in the park so were getting their fix before they staggered in.  They were covered in Glitter, and flowers in their hair...like a Woodstock gone bad. No fights or anything...waving the Scottish Flag and drinking whiskey straight out of the bottle.  Lots of smokers but no marijuana...cigarettes and booze. Ambulances coming and going every 10 minutes.
       I took three or four stops before I finally made it to Gandolfi's Fish and Chips...touted the best in Glasgow. 

Nice sit down restaurant with outdoor seating and a bar...full menu with a side entrance for Take Away.  I ordered the two course $17.95 pounds ($29 DOLLARS) for a Shrimp cocktail and Fish and Chips.  Also had a glass of wine for $11 pounds ($17.50 DOLLARS)...it was my last day.  The Shrimp cocktail was about  6-7 oz of small shrimp in a Mayo sauce on lettuce with one piece of toast.  The Fish and Chips (I subbed a salad) was one Fillet of Fresh but tasteless fish...cod I think with greasy heavy batter that was also tasteless. 

I had to have something good before I left so for $8 pounds ($13.50 DOLLARS) more I got a superb Rhubarb Pudding with Creme Frache and a small measured shot of Armagnac Brandy.

I did leave a 10% tip on top BUT my Uber ride back was only $4.50 pounds ($7 DOLLARS) with Sahib driving.
        Time to pack for the airport hotel in the morning.
        My Breakfast attendant paid for my Breakfast this morning.  He tried once before by asking my room number, then other employees think I paid in advance but the first time I told him I didn't pay and handed him my credit card in front of everyone.  This time I said 233 and he pretended to check it off the list and I had a free breakfast.  I thanked him as I left for my Uber ride to the airport hotel.  
           Yesterday when I checked Uber for my ride....it was 16 pounds....today it was 23 pounds claiming it was busy.  I think they track it with cookies and knew when I logged in today they had a fish on the line.  It I had been smart I would have stayed where I was another night.  I already paid the Airport hotel 95 pounds but arrived early thinking I would wait in the NO lounge and 1 1/2 hours before check in.  She charged me early check in of 10 pounds...and I still had to get a taxi in the morning to take me a mile down the road for another 6 pounds.  Live and learn.  

No restaurant on premise...just a Continental Brekki tomorrow for another 5 pounds.  I could have saved over $75 by staying and taking the Monday taxi directly to the airport.  I walked to the closest place for food...you guessed it: Cosmos Fish and Chips takeaway...no place to eat.  Next door was a liquor store so I bought a pint..that with the Fish and Chips takeaway was 14 pounds.  So 130 pounds is .....$210 for one night with extras. I did get a can of Scotland's Irn Bru...an orange soda that Jimmy wanted us to try and no one wanted all the sugar...I mixed it with Vodka.
       Brekki was lousy. A crust of bread, sweet sickening yogurt, boxed juice, dried scrambled eggs with greasy potato scone. Got to check out by 10 am with flight to Manchester at 2:30 . Two hour wait for flight to Amsterdam. Soccer finals ...no where to sit.

TAX FREE?

SOCCER TOURNAMENT...NO SEATS AVAILABLE